The Way We Are
by McBreezy
Summary: Bree finds love in an unexpected place when she reaches out for help from an old friend...
1. Chapter 1

Beep! Beep! Beep!The obnoxious sound of the alarm clock rattled Bree from her deep sleep, the song on the radio blaring at her as if it knew._  
_

_"Jesus, take the wheel. Take it from my hands, cause I can't do this on my own..."_

She sighed and turned it off, lying on her back and closing her eyes. It was 6 a.m., and though she usually jumped out of bed at the sound of the alarm, this particular morning, she just wanted to lay there. Just a few days ago, she had begun to find peace again; begun to heal from her husband▓s unexpected death. And just a few days ago, she▓d found out that a man she▓d given her trust--and almost her hand in marriage--to, had murdered him. And in addition to bearing the guilt over Rex▓s death, she now bore another secret burden: the truth behind George Williams▓ death, and her son▒s threats to expose it. For the first time since she could remember, Bree Van de Kamp didn▓t know what to do. She had defied all morale and let a man die, and now, in the light of day, she wasn▓t even sorry. Half an hour later, she couldn▓t bring herself to lie there with her thoughts any longer, so she dragged herself out of bed and quickly got dressed. Soon, she was once again polished to outer perfection, though inside, she was concocting a plan. A way out. And halfway through baking a batch of blueberry muffins, it hit her how to attain it. Or rather┘_re_tain it.


	2. Chapter 2

That same morning, just down the street, Karl Mayer woke to the same familiar sound of an alarm clock and turned it off, looking next to him at the sleeping form of his girlfriend, Edie Britt. She was beautiful, smart, fun, everything he'd always wanted, and yet...he knew he didn't love her. He never would. But, despite that, he didn't feel like hurting her. At least not yet; because even though he didn't love her, her did like her a lot, and he had to admit, it was the best sex he'd had in years--maybe even ever. And being who he was, Karl didn't feel like giving that up in favor of lonely nights in a dingy apartment eating take-out and watching old "I Love Lucy" reruns; only being able to fantasize about the amazing Edie sex.

He kissed her forehead and rolled out of bed, pulling on a t-shirt and walking downstairs. He tiredly brewed some coffee, pouring himself a cup and leaving the rest for Edie later. Since he didn't have anything to do that day, he decided just to relax, so he took a seat on the couch and flipped through the 300-some TV stations, not finding a single one with anything even mildly entertaining. He sighed, ready to give up and maybe actually do a little help around the house, when he was literally saved by the bell--the doorbell, that is.

Karl got up, happy for any distraction from doing housework, and answered the door, though he wasn't expecting to find Bree Van de Kamp on the other side of it. He looked at her with his eyebrows raised in shock. "Bree..." she proceeded to talk to him, hiring him as her attorney because 'her son was trying to blackmail her and she wanted him to stop the little S.O.B.' He nodded and followed, though he was somewhat distracted by her. That perfect fiery hair, the tight orange sweater, the grey skirt, beneath which lay the forbidden territory he could only imagine...he cleared his throat after she'd finished and looked at her, clutching the muffin basket and the 100 dollar check she'd offered him as a retainer. "Well, I'll certainly do everything I can to help you, Bree. He licked his lips instinctively, and smiled at her.

"Well, thank you very much, truly." Bree smiled back, though somewhat tight-lipped. She was aware of the way he was looking at her, and it unnerved her slightly. Though she couldn't deny that having a man look at her like that felt rather nice. She hadn't seen that look since...she couldn't even remember.

"Oh, no problem. Do you wanna meet later and go over everything?"

"Actually, I was thinking now...if you have the time, that is. I just want to get this all out while I still remember what I want to say." She smiled warmly, hoping he could help her. She needed that much. She needed to know she could win this battle, and he was the only one who could provide that for her.

"Oh, uhh...sure. Can we go to your place? Edie's still in bed, and I don't think the first thing she wants to see when she wakes up is someone so perfectly put together and gorgeous..." He caught himself and laughed it off, setting down the muffins and placing the check inside the basket. "Let's go, then." He shut the door and they made their way to Bree's. She was unsure of herself with him. They hadn't spent time together in a long while, and never alone. And though she didn't trust him completely because of his history with Susan, she knew he was her only option, and whether or not she trusted him personally, she had no choice but to place her trust in him professionally. Though the funny part was, it was also completely personal...


	3. Chapter 3

Bree closed the door behind them as they entered her house, which was, as always, immaculately clean and completely spotless. Karl looked around in amazement. It had been awhile since he'd been in Bree's house, and he'd forgotten how perfect it always looked. "Well, if you ask me, I think someone here needs a man...and it's not me." He laughed, jokingly. "So, what's the problem, exactly?"

Bree sneered at his comment. In fact, she did need a man, but the man she needed was now dead...She chose not to respond to the comment, but instead sat him on the couch, crossing her legs primly. "Well, basically, George Williams tried to guilt me into taking him back after I found out he killed Rex, and took a bunch of pills, and when he asked me to call an ambulance, I told him I had, and then let him die." She looked at him, a slight smile on her face. Not a happy smile, per se, but a smile of satisfaction. A smile that bore no regret for her actions. She knew she should feel guilty as hell, but honestly, she didn't. The world was better off, and she was almost positive she hadn't committed a legal crime. The only part she couldn't bear was the shame she'd face if anyone found out.

Karl stared at her in amazement. He'd underestimated this woman. He'd seen her all these years as a housewife. Ordinary. A woman who took care of her house and her family and never bothered with anything else. But this--this made him see her in a whole new light. She was feisty. Fiery. Yet, wholesome..and incredibly sexy. "Wow..." was all he could manage to choke out. He stared at her and then cleared his throat, looking down and then back at her with a smirk.  
"Well, the good news is that legally, you're safe. The bad news is..." he leaned into her flirtatiously, resting a hand on her thigh. She withdrew slightly, but didn't completely resist, nor did she attempt to move his hand. "...I'm starting to think things I shouldn't be thinking."

Bree felt her heart rate quicken, and she swallowed, clearing her throat and looking away. "Well, you'll have to control that then, won't you." She said it as a statement. A fact. Not a question he could rebut. She sat there, still as a redheaded statue, his hand still lingering on her thigh, her own hands clasped in her lap. She took small but deep breaths, trying to keep herself under control. His hand felt as though it were burning through her skirt to her very skin.

"But why would I wanna do a thing like that? I have to admit, Bree, I've never found you so..." He moved his hand from her thigh to her face, turning it towards his and smiling. "Would you object?" He looked at her suggestively, and in that moment, his thoughts of Edie had disappeared, and Bree knew he was about to kiss her. The question was, could she betray Edie by committing a mortal sin against their friendship? It didn't take her long to realize she could.

As Karl moved closer, she sat there quietly, still, unmoving and unresponsive until that moment. That moment when their lips finally met, softly at first, and then more deeply. She let her lips part when she felt his tongue trying to slip past them, and she massaged it with her own, her arms wrapping around his neck as he placed his around her waist. A few moments later, he was slipping his hands beneath that orange sweater, feeling the warmth of her milky skin and continuing their passionate kiss. At the feeling of his hands creeping up her sweater, she broke the kiss and pulled back, looking at him, her breathing labored. "No...no Karl, I...I can't. We can't. This is...professional. A professional meeting. Not..." She didn't finish the sentence, unsure how to. Luckily, Karl finished it for her.

"Not a booty call?" He laughed, taking her hands in his. "Bree, it's not. If you don't want to sleep with me...fine. You don't want to hurt Edie, is that it? Neither do I. But we can't deny this. I don't know if it's just a physical attraction, but I don't think so, because I'm feeling things for you right now that I didn't know I could feel for you. Until now, I never saw you. I mean, I saw you, but I didn't really see you. Now I do." He looked at her honestly. It was the first time in years he'd ever given a woman that look.

"But...but I..." she sighed softly and looked down. "I don't know." She honestly had always thought of Karl as an attractive man, but she couldn't get past her mistrust of him. He'd cheated on Susan. Committed the same crime as Rex had, and she still hadn't forgiven Rex completely. How could she forgive Karl? How could she possibly begin to trust him enough to let this happen? After all, he was doing it again now, only this time, Bree was the 'other woman.' He obviously could not be trusted. "I can't trust you, Karl."

"Can you trust yourself? Can you trust your feelings? Because from the look on your face, they match mine. I can't promise you anything, but all I know is that I want you. More than I think I ever wanted Edie. And she'll be hurt, but she's a tough lady. I don't love her, Bree, and I never will. But you...I could. You're the kind of woman a man falls in love with, Edie's not." He was babbling now, but he didn't care. For once he was actually being honest. He was pouring his heart out to her and he barely knew why. Bree stared at him, licked her lips, and stood up.

"You should go. Please. I just...I need to be alone." She walked to the door and opened it, motioning for him to leave. Karl stood up and nodded, walking over to her.

"Alright, I'll go...but I want you to think about this. Because I'm not going to give up now." Before she could object, he gave her lips one more light kiss and walked out the door. She watched him leave and then closed the door, leaning against it and laying her fingers against her lips. She closed her eyes and stood there, the sweet taste of his kiss still lingering. 


End file.
